


Volunteering at Wizard World Philly

by Sinistretoile



Category: British Actor RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Comic-Con, Conventions, Drabble, Judgmental Tom, Photo Shoots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 20:27:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6392368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinistretoile/pseuds/Sinistretoile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nicole volunteers at Wizard World Philly, and by a stroke of luck, is assigned to the Marvel actors. Tom takes notice of the fun volunteer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Volunteering at Wizard World Philly

**Author's Note:**

> For Nicole, based on a dream. Hope it does it justice. Love ya!

Nicole couldn’t believe how lucky she was to be picked to be a volunteer at Wizard World Philadelphia. Let alone be selected to check badges for the Marvel autograph booths. She’d spent all morning checking badges, trembling slightly as three men she admired sat on the other side of the room signing autographs.  
Behind her there was a collective groan as Tom Hiddleston, the main reason she was attending the con, announced he was taking a short break. She glanced over to see his handlers escorting him from behind the table and away from the crowd. She turned her attention back to checking the badges. A slight tap on her shoulder nearly scared the shit out of her.  
“Fu-“ She clamped on the cuss word, mindful of where she was. The only reason she’d ever monitor her language.  
“Excuse me, miss?”  
Nicole turned to face the straining buttons of a white shirt and had to look up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. “-ck.”  
He chuckled, grinning to beat the band. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I couldn’t help but notice your shirt.”  
Nicole looked down at the @JudgementalTom shirt she’d made for the day. “Oh.”  
He didn’t stop grinning. “I’ve seen it on Twitter. Olly’s a fan.”  
“Really?”  
“Can I ask where you got it?”  
“I made it. I run it. With a couple friends. They’re actually here this weekend too.”  
“Oh? Are they volunteering as well? Maybe I can pull a few strings and get the lot of you working the Marvel booths for the weekend.”  
Nicole’s eyes widened. “Seriously? But no, they aren’t.”  
He glanced around. “Are you having fun?”  
Nicole looked around too. “Uh, yea, I’m having a blast. My friend Jade and I cosplayed yesterday. I’m volunteering today and tomorrow we get to meet you.”  
“I do hope you’ll still be excited after talking to me today.”  
“How could a fan not?”  
Tom cleared his throat. “Well, thank you for doing a bang up job of helping me feel secure.”  
“You’re welcome. This is the highlight of my day.”  
“Glad I could be of assistance.”  
“How was your flight?”  
“Long, a bit boring but I got some reading done.”  
“Are You having fun? After all this, I mean.” She gestured to the fans and the meet and greets and the large sign with his face on it.  
He laughed and touched her shoulder. “I feel like I could use a drink.” He patted his pockets. “Wait a tick. I have something for you.” His handlers gestured for him to head back to the table. She felt him slip something into her pocket before he waved, pressing a smile on his thin lips and headed back to the table.

The handwritten tickets trembled in her hand as she stood in line. She’d barely been able to contain herself as she read, in his unmistakable handwriting, ‘Good for a free photo op’. The other one, tucked in her front pocket read ‘Jameson, on me, in person.’ Each ticket said ‘Love Tom’ on the back. That excitement boiled over into squealing phone calls for some in the middle of the night. Then she’d run into the friends she’d came with and relayed the story to much squealing and jumped up and down.  
So there she stood in line for the photo op. She handed her ticket to the attendant. “I’m sorry, I can’t accept that.”  
“What? Why?”  
“This isn’t one of ours. Where did you get this?”  
“From Tom.”  
The girl turned and talked into her headset. Nicole began to get nervous as she waited. “If you’ll follow me, please.”  
“Why? I didn’t do anything wrong.”  
“I didn’t say you did. Would you follow me?” Nicole sighed and trudged behind the attendant. She looked around what appeared to be a staging area for the photo ops. “Tom?”  
He turned and grinned at Nicole and the attendant. “Thank you so much. I do apologize for not getting your name.”  
“Nicole.” The attendant headed back to her position.  
“Splendid. Could I get you to wait here while we run through the photos? Then you and I can get to your promised photo and that drink.”  
“Uh, sure.” From her vantage point, she could see all the fans coming and going. It must be exhausting to have to have to do this all day. No matter how much Tom loved his fans and how intelligent and engaging some of them could be.  
Tom made his way back to her. “How about that drink?”  
“You bet your ass.”  
Tom laughed and offered her his arm and they took the back exit. His assistant waited with a car. The door closed and the backseat became a vacuum of sound. She longed to talk to him but he had closed his eyes as soon as the silence hit and she couldn’t think of disturbing him. They pulled up to the front of a hotel and a valet opened the door.  
Tom opened his eyes and smiled at Nicole. “Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome. You looked like you needed the quiet.”  
Tom unfolded himself from the backseat and offered her his hand. “Now how about that drink?”


End file.
